


Inevitable Christmas Album

by QueenThayet



Category: Swan Song - Fandom
Genre: Christmas fic, Holiday Album, M/M, Rolling Stone Review
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 14:06:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17346581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenThayet/pseuds/QueenThayet
Summary: So what if Matt's show decided to do a holiday album, and they asked Swan also to contribute a song?





	Inevitable Christmas Album

**Author's Note:**

  * For [earlgreytea68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgreytea68/gifts).
  * Inspired by [May Your Days Be Merry and Bright](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17012196) by [earlgreytea68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgreytea68/pseuds/earlgreytea68). 



> Thank you to Amy who helped me name this fic and who cheerread it for me. EGT, I'm terribly sorry that your Christmas fic is SO LATE, but hopefully it will still provide some holiday cheer!

“Hi Lilah,” Patrick answered his phone.

“Is Matt there?”

“He’s upstairs, but I can get him for you. I assume he’s not answering his phone?”

“You assume correctly, but you can just put me on speaker because I want to talk to both of you.”

“Matthew, Lilah would like to speak to us,” Patrick announced as he climbed the stairs.

“Ah, that’s probably why she kept calling,” Matt replied.

“Amazing deduction,” Patrick said dryly. “Anyway, what’s up Lilah?”

“Okay, so Who Can Sing the Best wants to do a holiday compilation album and they’d like you to contribute a song, Matt. They also want to know if Swan would be willing to contribute a song, in light of your reunion,” Lilah reported.

“Sure, I can do that. Patrick, your thoughts on Swan?” Matt replied.

“I’m in, assuming Anna and David can make it work.” Patrick said, looking at Matt and shrugging.

“Great! I’ll go ahead and call them, and I’ll talk to Rachel about booking you rehearsal and recording space again.” Lilah said cheerily.

“Oh, do they have a song they wanted us to cover? Are we supposed to write something new?” Patrick asked before Lilah hung up the phone.

“Whatever you want; Swan and the judges get first pick of songs, so we just need to let them know what you want to record by next week. So call me back as soon as you’ve picked your songs.”

“Sounds good, thanks! Bye,” Patrick said as he ended the call.

“So we’re finally going to do a Christmas album,” Matt grinned at Patrick.

“Well, we’re going to contribute a song to a holiday album for your job, not quite the same thing. You’ll be on two songs. Do you have any idea what you’d like to sing?”

“No idea, I figured I’d ask the girls.”

Patrick laughed. “Oh, you were serious. Well, good luck with that. Let me know how that goes.”

***

“So Who Can Sing the Best is going to do a holiday album and they want me to do a song for it, and also Swan,” Matt told the girls over dinner, “and since I don’t really have a favorite holiday song, I thought I would ask you what I should sing.”

The dining room was immediately full of excited voices overlapping each other as the girls offered up suggestions to Matt. Patrick smirked at Matt’s overwhelmed look.

“Maybe one at a time so I can actually hear the suggestions?” Matt said, trying to be heard over the general din.

“You’re not allowed to sing ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas,” Miranda announced as everyone quieted down.

“Okay…” Matt said.

“It’s a bunch of white savior neo-colonialist feel-good bullshit,” Miranda continued.

“Language,” Patrick said, raising a stern eyebrow.

“Sorry, but it is,” Miranda crossed her arms definitively.

“You’re not wrong, but remember, we’re trying to make sure Adam’s first word isn’t a swear word.” Patrick allowed.

“Okay, so that one is off the list. Any suggestions on what I should sing?” Matt obediently mimed crossing the song off an imaginary list.

“You should do ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,’” Kylie said.

“Isn’t that song a little… awful?” Matt asked.

“It’s a commentary on the way in which family connection is overlooked, nay, crushed, in the hustle and bustle of the commercial Christmas season,” Kylie said dryly.

“That’s really the song you think I should do?” Matt asked.

“Yes,” Kylie said solemnly.

Matt looked helplessly at Patrick who burst out laughing.

“She’s trolling you, Matt. That song is terrible.”

Matt looked relieved and looked at Kylie for confirmation. Kylie held her cool for another moment before faux glaring at Patrick.

“I almost had him, Dad!”

“Be kind to Matt, he doesn’t know all of your tricks yet.”

“Oh fine, you should do ‘A Snowflake Fell (And it Felt Like a Kiss)’,” Kylie said.

“No, you have forfeited your chance at song picking by not taking this seriously,” Matt said imperiously. “Hailey, what is your favorite Christmas song?”

“I really like the songs from _The Muppet Christmas Carol_ ,” Hailey said thoughtfully; “maybe ‘It Feels like Christmas’ would work?”

“Sold, to the cute redhead with the braids,” Matt said grinning.

“What if we do ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,’ for Swan’s contribution?” Patrick said.

“There’s no way I can sing that low,” Matt objected.

“We’d do a different arrangement obviously, but I think it’s jazzy enough that a sax line will flow naturally, and a lot of the instrumentation I can just do on piano. I think we could do a fun cover of it.” Patrick responded.

“Yeah, okay, I’m willing to listen to your possible arrangement. We’ll call Lilah after dinner to see if we can get those songs,” Matt agreed.

“You mean you want me to call Lilah.”

“Well, yes, you’re so much better at phone calls than I am.”

Patrick rolled his eyes fondly at Matt’s ridiculousness.

***  
Patrick was sitting at the piano, fiddling around with the piano part to “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” the Jins and Lilah having approved their song choices.

“Did you know that Thurl Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony the Tiger?” Matt asked as he wandered up behind Patrick, wrapping his arms around him and kissing the top of his head.

“I did, actually,” Patrick said as he tipped his head up to kiss Matt back.

“So there’s a whole meme about Tony the Tiger being a jilted ex of the Grinch singing that song,” Matt continued.

Patrick laughed, “That’s kind of amazing. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though.”

“So I felt like maybe we should sort of lean into that vibe?”

“The jilted ex-lover vibe?” Patrick asked.

“Yeah. I don't have the bass notes to sing it just like the original, but it’s definitely got sort of a sexy ‘you don't know what a great thing you lost and you can go die in a fire’ sound to it. I could totally play that up, go really sultry, y’know?” Matt explained.

“Hmm, that sounds dangerous,” Patrick said.

“Dangerous?”

“Well, you know what you do to me when your singing goes all sultry,” Patrick teased as he pulled Matt down onto the piano bench with him.

“Mmm, I think I forget,” Matt smirked.

“Well why don’t you demonstrate what sort of sound you’re going for, and we’ll see if I can handle it.” Patrick said, playing the opening to the song.

“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” Matt crooned, “You really are a heel.”

Matt didn’t sound jilted as much as fondly irritated.

“You’re as cuddly as a cactus, you’re as charming as an eel,” Matt pouted before dipping into a seductive: “Mr. Griiiiiiiinch,” before finishing with “You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel.”

Patrick stopped playing and pulled Matt close to him to kiss him again.

“Nope, you absolutely don’t get to sing like that about anyone but me,” Patrick said.

“Do you want to be the Grinch then?”

“Nope, did you hear what you just said about him? Guy sounds like a total jerk.”

“Yeah, but clearly Tony is still madly in love with him, despite himself.”

“This is a very strange conversation we’re having.”

“This is prime Mattrick banter! Badinage even!”

Patrick rolled his eyes and couldn't help but to pull Matt in for another kiss.

“So you like my idea?”

“God help me, I do. But you have to tell the Tony the Tiger story in the liner notes.”

“Deal,” Matt agreed, sealing it with another kiss.

***

Rolling Stone

_**Who Can Carol the Best?** _

_**Contestants and judges leave the competition behind to get into the holiday season** _

_A holiday compilation album is standard and expected from successful singing competition contestants at this point, so it wasn’t surprising to hear that this season would see one from Who Can Sing the Best. Although perhaps expected, this charming little album was anything but standard. Each of the top ten contestants from last season contributed a favorite holiday song. Arthur Levine’s cover of Steven Page’s “Hanukkah Blessings” was as quietly reverent as Erin Bradley’s cover of “All I Want For Christmas” was vibrant and celebratory. Other high points from the contestants include Bella Tartaglia’s gorgeous and ethereal “Ave Maria” and Calvin Jones’ powerful cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Spirit in the Dark.”_

_This album, unimaginatively titled “Sing the Best for the Holidays,” really shines when it comes to the judges’ selections. All four of the judges on “Who Can Sing the Best” are accomplished singers, but the joy they take in singing their favorite holiday songs really makes this album a delight. Steph-B’s soulful cover of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” is absolutely top notch; Matt Usher sings a buoyant cover of “It Feels Like Christmas” from_ The Muppet Christmas Carol; _Cassidy Williams performs a fresh and fun rendition of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”; and Jeremy Proctor’s reimagining of “Good King Wenceslas” is truly inspired._

_The surprise treat on this album is that Matt Usher’s former (and now newly reunited) band, Swan provides the final track: “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” In a complete departure from his early innocent rendition of a childhood classic, Usher brings the heat to this song. The music is jazzy and seductive, with Patrick Reed’s piano and David Jin’s saxophone flirting behind Usher’s voice. Usher croons and purrs the lyrics as if they were a reluctant ode to the eponymous Mr. Grinch by a jilted lover. And that’s exactly the sound he was going for—according to the liner notes it’s an allusion to[this Grinch/Tony the Tiger meme](https://altadude.tumblr.com/post/151678311877/tediousfeline-carryonmy-assbutt-iguanamouth). Tumblr memes aside, this track is amazing and the album is a worthy addition to your holiday music lineup._


End file.
